1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tools and more particularly to an extension tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of tools have been devised in the past for moving, rotating, positioning, supporting or contacting an object. One particular application of these tools is a paint stick wherein a paint dispensing device is secured to the end of the tool. The length of the paint stick may be altered by telescoping a first pole relative to a second pole.
Another application of these tools is an outrigger wherein a line may be supported from a first location on a vessel to a second location distant from a vessel. The length of the outrigger may be altered by telescoping a first pole relative to a second pole.
Another application of these tools is a railroad tool wherein a claw is located on an end of the tool for rotating a break actuator on a railroad car. Typically, the railroad car wheel break is actuated by rotating the break actuator. The break actuator may include a wheel having a plurality of spokes extending from a central hub. The rotation of the wheel rotates the hub and a shaft attached thereto for manually engaging a brake shoe to a surface of the railroad car wheel. The engagement of the brake shoe against the railroad car wheel prevents undesired movement of the railroad train car.
In most cases, the break actuator is located on the upper end of the railroad car. This necessitated the railroad employee to climb a ladder between typically two adjacent railroad cars to rotate the wheel on each of the railroad cars. Thereafter, the employee must descend the latter to move to the next railroad car and climb the ladder and rotate the wheel in a similar pattern.
This procedure is very time consuming and possibly dangerous activity since the railroad employee is required to climb the ladders on each of the railroad cars that are in many cases located between two adjacent railroad cars. The following U.S. patents are examples of attempts of the prior art to solve these problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 684,858 to Pearson discloses a wire fence tool comprising a handle, a hatchet-blade thereon having a disk-shaped facial recess in one side. A wire-cutter is seated in the recess and forms a flush portion of the hatchet-blade. An opening lever-handle is connected with the cutter-disk and a retaining loop for the lever-handle. The hatchet-blade and cutter-disk are provided with registering wire-receiving notches.
U.S. Pat. No. 872,271 to Benet discloses a device combining a pair of members connected pivotally together and provided with claws for the purpose of gripping a nail or the like. One of the members is provided with a longitudinal portion for increasing the leverage between the claws. The longitudinal portion terminates at one of its ends in a screw driver blade having a sharp portion and also having shoulders disposed upon opposite sides of the sharp portion. A handle is mounted telescopically upon the longitudinal portion of the blade and is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed impact surfaces for engaging the shoulders and receiving therefrom the force of impact so as to avoid injury to the sharp portion of the screw driver blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,378 to Borden discloses a combination tool comprising a first and a second tool members with hinge structure pivotally securing the first and the second members together so that they may be selectively pivoted between opened and closed positions of use wherein. The first tool member includes a pair of spaced-apart generally parallel extending side walls forming a sheath portion between which the second tool member may be folded or enclosed in closed position thereof. The first tool member also includes a first tool portion and a first bridge portion at one end thereof and a second bridge portion adjacent the other end thereof but intermediate these ends. The first and second bridge extend between and integrally connecting sidewalls. The second tool member includes a second and third tool portions at opposite ends thereof and an intermediate region adjacent the second tool portion with this intermediate region being disposed between the side walls and hingedly assembled adjacent the other end of the first tool member, wherein in the folded or closed position of the combination tool, the second tool member is disposed between the side walls and resting on the bridge portions and the second and third tool portions extend beyond the opposite ends of the first tool member and the first tool portion is disposed in exposed condition so that all three tool portions are available for use in both the opened and folded or closed conditions of the tool members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,252 to Pella discloses a device for safely rotating the wheel of a large or hard-to-turn valve. The wrench comprises an elongated handle, and a wheel grip. The wheel grip further consists of a rim grip and a spoke grip. The rim grip extends upwardly (when viewed from above) around the bottom of the rim of a valve wheel. The spoke grip extends downwardly, first around the rim of the wheel, then inwardly, so as to grasp the spoke of the valve wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,469 to Pella discloses a device for safely rotating the handwheel of hard-to-turn valves has an elongate handle terminating in a fixed wheel-rim-engaging jaw. A movable wheel-engaging jaw is pivotally attached to the handle behind the fixed jaw. When the movable jaw is applied to the inner surface of the handwheel rim and the fixed jaw is applied to the outer surface of the rim, turning force on the handle forces the two jaws together by a leveraged force to enhance gripping of the rim while turning the wheel. Protuberances on the movable jaw enhance gripping the wheel rim and spoke.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,950 to Browning discloses a rigid head extending laterally from an adjustable handle has an elongate slot therethrough aligned with the longitudinal axis, of the handle for receiving and operating the handle of a valve. A first concave surface is formed in the upper edge of the head for pushing on the spokes of a brake wheel. The first concave surface has opposite ends of similar slope approaching ninety degrees relative to the upper edge for pushing on the spokes of a brake wheel and preventing kick-out of the tool from the brake wheel. A second concave surface is formed in the lower edge of the head for pulling on the spokes of a brake wheel. A first end of the second concave surface has a slope approaching ninety degrees relative to the lower edge of the head that is significantly less than the slope of the first end to facilitate kick-out of the tool while the brake wheel is in motion. The second concave surface slopes to a point where it joins the outer edge of the head to define a point adapted to fit within a hole in a knuckle of a railroad car.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,539 to Webster discloses a telescoping handle assembly including an inner and outer telescoping handle sections. The inner section has an outer surface and a series of grooves at predetermined locations spaced along the length of the inner section. The outer section includes locking teeth that are fixed axially in position along the length of the outer section and that are resiliently movable between a locked condition disposed in one of the grooves on the inner section and an unlocked condition. The handle assembly includes a locking sleeve movable in a first direction to apply radially inwardly directed force to the locking teeth to maintain the locking teeth in the locked condition and thereby to block telescopic movement of the inner section relative to the outer section. The locking sleeve is movable in a second direction opposite the first direction to enable movement of the locking teeth out of the locking condition thereby to enable telescopic movement of the inner section relative to the outer section.
Although the aforementioned prior art have contributed to the development of the art of tools, none of these prior art patents have solved the needs of the art.
Therefore, is an object of this invention to provide an improved tool for moving, rotating or contacting an object.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool for mounting a tool device thereon.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool for mounting a sensor device thereon.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool for mounting a support device thereon.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool for rotating the break actuator of a railroad car for actuating a wheel break.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool for pivoting a knuckle coupler of a railroad car.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool that is light-weight and easy to carry.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool that can be extended and retracted for varying the length of the tool.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool that may be extended and retracted with a minimum resistance force.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tool that may be extended and retracted without jamming.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.